LITTLE ROCK — Continuing its commitment to expand primary care and specialty services to meet the needs of its patients, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) this week opened the UAMS Neighborhood Clinic in west Little Rock on Rahling Road.

The clinic, located at 1811 Rahling Road, is open 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with extended hours until 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays for patient convenience. It offers primary care to all members of a family, from pediatric to geriatric patients. Specialty care, including cardiology, urology, neurology, gastroenterology and endocrinology, is also offered.

To make an appointment, call 501-614-2340.

“While UAMS will continue to offer treatment in our midtown Family Medical Center, this new clinic allows us to offer both primary care and specialty appointments in one location that is convenient to one of the city’s fastest growing areas,” said Dan Rahn, M.D., UAMS chancellor.

The clinic has a full-time staff of 25, including three physicians. Services range from annual exams and preventive care to specialists who can help manage complex conditions and illnesses.

“There’s a need for primary and specialty care in neighborhoods and it is increasingly becoming a vital part of our mission to serve Arkansans,” Rahn said.

Chuck Smith, M.D., is the medical director of the clinic. He is an assistant professor in the College of Medicine’s Department of Family & Preventive Medicine and a primary care doctor. He graduated from UAMS in 1982 and completed his residency in family medicine at the UAMS West in Fort Smith. Smith is a diplomate of the American Board of Family Medicine and a fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. He is also a member of the American Medical Association, the Arkansas Medical Society and the American College of Emergency Physicians.

“Having worked in primary care and emergency medicine for almost three decades, I see the importance of having a primary care provider to help manage health care. Primary care providers deliver preventive care but also work with patients to manage acute and chronic conditions. We partner with our patients to improve outcomes, leading to better quality of life,” said Smith.